Review of Mathematical Modeling Research: A Descriptive Content Analysis Study

Abstract

Recently, mathematical models and modeling practices have become popular in associating mathematics with real-life problems and, hence understanding this relationship. Accordingly, the mathematical modeling skill has been adopted in the standards and by researchers. Understanding the use of mathematical modeling in the learning and teaching processes of mathematics education will contribute to the future of the field. This study aimed to review the trends in mathematical modeling literature using leading research studies. This study reviewed the various types of studies indexed in the Web of Science database between 2000 and 2021 regarding how they addressed modeling. As well as mathematical modeling approaches used, the studies were reviewed in terms of basic characteristics such as publication year, sample, and research method. We evaluated studies using a form developed by the researchers, and the study revealed an increase in the number of studies over the years, and the studies were conducted mostly with pre-service teachers. In addition, we observed that research studies employed mostly small samples to closely monitor the modeling process.